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(04/02/07 4:00am)
With his team trailing 1-0 and behind a set on three of the singles courts, IU men’s tennis coach Ken Hydinger turned to his wife and said, “That’s the match,” signaling to senior David Bubenicek on Court 2.\nHe was not implying that Michigan State had the match won, but that the Hoosiers needed Bubenicek to rally from a set down against Alex Forger and win for the team to come away with their 12th victory. \nAfter No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 singles had finished, Bubenicek was still battling it out at No. 2, as was sophomore Peter Antons at No. 5. \nWith Antons 0-10 on the year when losing the first set, the Bubenicek match became even more critical for IU. \nAt 4-3 in the second set, Forger held serve to make it 4-4, but from there on out Bubenicek played very well.\nReeling off eight straight games, Bubenicek won 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 and sealed the Hoosiers’ victory.\n“I didn’t stop believing and I worked every ball and just hoped that it would turn around,” Bubenicek said after the match. “It’s a good feeling right now.” \nWith the match decided, Antons was still fighting on Court 5 against Michael Flowers. After failing to close out the match at 6-5, he had to duke it out in a third-set tiebreak. Antons fell behind early, then jumped ahead of Flowers at 4-3 and held on to win the tiebreak 7-4 and the match 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4). \n“I’ve had a little rough time out here (in recent matches),” Antons said. “You just got to know it’s going to be a grind out there – just got to push for whatever it takes.”\nIU got behind early, losing two of the three doubles matches and then at No. 1 singles as top-50-ranked Nick Rinks defeated the Hoosiers’ junior Thomas Richter 6-2, 6-4 at No. 1. \nJunior Dara McLoughlin earned IU’s first singles victory at No. 3, 6-3, 6-1, before a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 6 by Mak Kendall and a 6-2, 6-0 win by senior Arnaud Roussel at No. 4. \n“We’ve been talking a long time about grinding, and we’ve talked about not checking out, about playing every point hard,” Hydinger said. “We got in a bind on the doubles, and (Michigan State) had some momentum in some singles matches out there. And I thought our guys did a great job of keeping their composure and working through the thing.”
(03/30/07 4:00am)
The IU men’s tennis team won 15 of its 16 matches against Michigan State before coach Ken Hydinger’s arrival in Bloomington. \nSince then, the Hoosiers have continued their dominance of the Spartans, going 22-4 in Hydinger’s 21 seasons. \nWhile No. 71 IU (11-7, 1-2) might be better than Michigan State (9-11, 0-4) on paper, that means nothing to the Hoosiers. \nWhen the two teams clash at noon on Saturday at the Varsity Tennis Courts, the Hoosiers’ focus will not be who is on the other side of the net, but on their own plays. \n“This year’s Michigan State team is the greatest team ever in the history of Michigan State,” Hydinger said. “That’s what we’re going to think. It doesn’t make any difference to us (how good or bad they might be). We’re going to focus on ourselves.”\nHydinger talked about Iowa’s Christian Bierich, whom IU senior David Bubenicek beat Sunday, one day after holding a 3-0 lead in the third set before losing to the nation’s No. 10 player from Ohio State. \nHe referenced that loss when explaining that the Big Ten is unpredictable and everyone must be prepared to play each match. \n“We got to expect everybody to be good and we got to be ready, and the whole thing about this is to maximize what we can do,” Hydinger said. “The only way we’re going to beat somebody is going out and fight(ing) them.”\nJunior Thomas Richter is still adjusting to his new role at No. 1 singles. \nAfter playing three-set matches against opponents from Minnesota and Iowa, Richter hopes that last weekend’s matches will help him “get tougher on the court” and that he has to keep his head up.\n“It’s tougher playing at number one,” he said. “The level is a bit different.”\nThings won’t get easier for him. He will likely face the nation’s 45th-ranked player in junior Nick Rinks. \nRichter should also meet Rinks and partner Adam Monich at No. 1 doubles. \nRanked No. 32, the Monich-Rinks pairing is coming off an upset of the No. 7 team from Notre Dame, the same duo that defeated Richter and junior Dara McLoughlin 8-3 in late January. \nAs Richter moved up, Bubenicek came down to No. 2 (and McLoughlin down to No. 3), but has not had to face much of an adjustment.\n“It’s pretty much (the) same competition,” he said. “I feel it’s a little less pressure than playing (number) one because that’s, you know, top position and you have to come ready like every single time. There are still high expectations but the level is slightly lower.”
(03/26/07 4:00am)
The IU men’s tennis team stands at 1-2 in the Big Ten after splitting a pair of matches this weekend. \nThe Hoosiers (11-7) fell to No. 23 Minnesota on Saturday 5-2, but they stormed back with a 6-1 win against Iowa on Sunday.\nIU had its hands full against Minnesota, an experienced team, in both the singles and doubles lineups. IU senior David Bubenicek and sophomore Peter Antons won 8-4 at No. 2 doubles, but the Hoosiers were unable to win at Nos. 1 and 3, giving the Golden Gophers the doubles point.\n“I thought the doubles point was big,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “I didn’t think we came out playing at the right tempo at one and three doubles.”\nDown 1-0, the Hoosiers brought the score to 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 4 by senior Arnaud Roussel. Sophomores Peter Antons and Mak Kendall fought hard at No. 5 and No. 6, but both fell. \nLeading 3-1, the Golden Gophers needed just one more victory to seal the match. They got that win at No. 2 when Raoul Schwark, No. 93 in the nation, took down IU senior Bubenicek 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. \nAt No. 3, junior Dara McLoughlin prevailed 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. After starting the season off 8-2, McLoughlin dropped four straight matches but is now back in the groove.\n“In singles I’m a little happier with how I’m playing,” McLoughlin said. “I was really disappointed with how it’s been going lately, and I’ve had three wins in a row.” \nAt No. 1, senior Thomas Richter had momentum after winning the first set, but he was unable to hold on, losing 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-3.\n“They got the job done on the road,” Hydinger said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t win this.”\nOn Sunday, IU turned things around, taking the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 and giving the team much-needed momentum heading into singles.\nBubenicek was the first off the court with a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 2. At No. 4, Roussel earned his team-high 13th singles victory of the spring, winning 6-4, 6-2. At No. 5, Antons fell to 0-3 in Big Ten singles matches, losing 6-4, 6-4.\nA day after playing hard but coming up short, Kendall won the deciding match at No. 6, coming from behind to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.\n“I think that’s maybe the best I’ve seen him work here,” Hydinger said. “He was playing good defense, playing some offense, working it around (and he) minimized his unforced errors.\nWith the overall match decided, Richter’s opponent at No. 1 decided to call it quits, despite holding a 6-3, 1-6, 3-2 lead against him. At No. 2, McLoughlin pulled out yet another win, with a 6-2, 7-6 (6) score, ending the day well for IU. \n“The main thing is, (this win) gets us back to 1-2 in the Big Ten,” Hydinger said. “And we’ve got Michigan State here next week, and if we get that, we’re back to .500, and then (we’ll) jump from there.”
(03/23/07 4:00am)
This weekend, the No. 68 IU men’s tennis team (10-6) resumes its Big Ten campaign, three weeks removed from a 7-0 loss in its conference opener at Ohio State. \nThe Hoosiers will host No. 23 Minnesota (11-3) at noon Saturday, followed by Iowa (7-3) at noon Sunday.\n“If you’re not ready to brawl, you’re going to get it handed to you,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said of Big Ten conference matches. “We’d like to play this weekend and be 2-1. That’s the plan anyway.” \nLast season, IU upset then-No. 38 Minnesota, ending a 13-match losing streak against the Golden Gophers and also marking just its second win against them in 28 tries since April 1988.\nLooking for another upset, the Hoosiers will have to beat a Minnesota team that is 5-3 against ranked opponents and 1-0 in conference play. On Feb. 17, the Gophers snuck by Big Ten bottom-dweller Michigan State, 4-3. \nIowa, the only Big Ten squad yet to play a conference match, will be at No. 2 Ohio State on Saturday before coming to Bloomington. The Hawkeyes, whom Hydinger alluded to as having one of their better teams in recent years, are entering this weekend on a three-match winning streak. \nThe Hoosiers are coming off of wins against No. 57 Furman and Wofford and looking to continue their winning streak into Big Ten play. One of the best players of late has been junior Thomas Richter, who not only has played well with junior Dara McLoughlin at doubles, but also stepped his singles play up during spring break.\nPlaying No. 3, Richter lost to his opponent from No. 20 Clemson but upset the nation’s 27th-ranked player from South Alabama, 6-3, 6-1. Moving up a spot to No. 2, Richter recorded a win against Furman and then won a three-set match at No. 1 against Wofford. \n“I felt better singles-wise,” Richter said. “We started playing outdoors, and I think my game is much better-fitted to play outdoors, and I feel much more comfortable playing outdoors, and that’s why I think I’ve had these results.”\nRichter’s recent success has him sitting at No. 103 in the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, and although his strong play is no surprise to Hydinger, it has been a roller coaster ride to get him there.\n“He comes in (spring semester), and because he’s transferring schools he doesn’t have a place to play over Christmas,” Hydinger said. “Then … he’s playing inside, it’s dark. They check his eyes, he’s 20-50 vision (and it) takes a while to get contacts. Then he misses three weeks of school (to be) with his dad.”\nAside from Richter missing four matches, Hydinger has had to shake up the lineup a lot anyway due to injuries. Junior Mike McCarthy is currently nursing a hurt shoulder, while senior Arnaud Roussel is recovering from an ankle sprain. \n“I will be a hundred percent this weekend,” Roussel said.\nMcCarthy, meanwhile, said that he will likely sit out this weekend’s matches.\nIt has been seven matches since the Hoosiers had their full lineup available. Even then, No. 1 singles player senior David Bubenicek was recovering from a wrist injury.
(03/19/07 4:00am)
The IU men’s tennis team traveled to Clemson, S.C., with hopes of snapping a three-match losing streak and winless record against nationally ranked opponents. \nAfter dropping their two Clemson Invitational matches March 10, the Hoosiers rebounded, upsetting No. 57 Furman and also defeating Wofford on Thursday.\nIU (10-6) began the trip by losing to tournament host No. 20 Clemson, 7-0. The Hoosiers were swept in both singles in doubles, losing each of the nine matches. \nAt No. 1 singles, senior David Bubenicek fought hard against reigning ACC player of the week, Clement Reix, but came up short, losing 6-4, 4-6, 7-6. At No. 4, senior Arnaud Roussel was on track to win, ahead 6-4, 4-1, but an ankle injury forced him to retire and cede the match.\nIn the second match last Saturday, a shorthanded IU squad fell to No. 18 South Alabama, 6-1. Without junior Mike McCarthy and the injured Roussel, the Hoosiers found themselves in a jam, having to forfeit No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles, but the team put up a strong effort nonetheless.\n“You couldn’t tell that we started the match down,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “They were fighting, which is a really positive thing to see. It was a tough situation for them to be in, and they handled it well.” \nJunior Thomas Richter posted the Hoosiers’ lone singles win at No. 3 by scoring an upset against the nation’s 27th ranked player, Marek Sramek, 6-3, 6-1. At No. 1 doubles, Richter and junior Dara McLoughlin bounced back from a loss against Clemson to upset Sramek and partner Robert Hodel, the nation’s No. 43 doubles team. \nFive days removed from the South Alabama and Clemson matches, the Hoosiers returned to action, earning a 6-1 victory against Furman and putting a halt to their losing skid. After earning the doubles point, the Hoosiers took five of the six singles matches, highlighted by Bubenicek’s defeat of No. 110 Andy Juc, 6-2, 6-1.\n“This is one of the best teams that Furman has had and we handled them very well,” Hydinger said. “David defeated a guy who has beat(en) a lot of good players. In addition, we continued to look good in doubles. We have had some injuries and other things affect the team as of late that has forced some changes to the lineup, but we are fighting well regardless.”\nIn the afternoon match, IU took down Wofford, also by the score of 6-1. \nRichter stepped up to win at No. 1, while McLoughlin, Roussel and sophomores Mak Kendall and Peter Antons posted wins at Nos. 3 through 6, respectively. \nThursday’s wins marked the fifth time this season that the Hoosiers have swept a doubleheader.
(03/09/07 5:00am)
The IU men’s tennis team (8-4) was in for a treat Wednesday. As they stepped onto the Varsity Courts, the sun was shining with the temperatures in the mid-40s. Junior Mike McCarthy said it was the team’s second day outside, and while the weather was pleasant in Bloomington, they have four spring break matches to play in the warm weather of Clemson, S.C.\nThe No. 75 Hoosiers left for Palmetto State on Thursday riding a three-match losing streak and an 0-4 record versus nationally ranked opponents. In three of the four matches, IU will have a chance to upset a ranked team, but the biggest difficulty may be playing outside. Senior David Bubenicek said it will be a tough transition from playing their previous 12 matches indoors.\n“The big difference will be (that) we’ll start to play outside, and the teams we’re going to play against are playing outside all the time,” Bubenicek said.\nSaturday, the Hoosiers will play No. 18 South Alabama, which began the year at No. 46, and worked their way up 28 spots with a 10-0 record. On Sunday, the Hoosiers will take on No. 20 Clemson (9-3), which is coming off of an upset of then-No. 10 Florida State. The Tigers are led by No. 72 Clement Reix, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Player of the Week and winner of his last five matches. \n“They’re two good teams that have been playing outdoors,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “They’re used to hitting a lot of balls. You know, they’re quality opponents.”\nAfter facing two Top-20 teams over the weekend, things will get a little easier for IU, but not by much when they square off against Furman (5-6) Thursday morning. Later that day, the Hoosiers will play their final spring break contest, as they take on Wofford (4-3). \nDespite the current losing streak, one bright spot has been the steady play at No. 1 doubles. Junior Dara McLoughlin has won seven straight matches and is 10-2 this spring, 6-2 with junior Thomas Richter and 4-0 with Bubenicek. \nDespite missing four of the last five matches, Richter is ranked No. 56 with McLoughlin in the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings. Bubenicek is also ranked with McLoughlin (No. 50), after filling for Richter on Saturday, where they defeated Ohio State’s No. 60-ranked doubles team 8-7. \n“I think David stepped his doubles game up a level from where he had been before; very solid and very well-rounded,” Hydinger said. “With Thomas back, that gives us some options that we can really use at doubles. We’ve got a week down there so nothing’s set in stone.”
(03/02/07 5:00am)
When Ty Tucker took over as Ohio State men’s tennis coach in the 1999 to 2000 campaign, the Buckeyes had never been to the NCAA Tournament. Eight seasons later, Ohio State has been to seven consecutive NCAA Tournaments, is the defending Big Ten champion after a nine-year reign by Illinois and is the nation’s second-ranked team.\n“We got OSU on Saturday, so it’s a great chance for us to get back in the swing of things,” IU junior Mike McCarthy said after the team’s 4-3 loss to DePaul on Wednesday. “They’re a great team.”\nThe Hoosiers certainly will not have an easy time Saturday trying to contain the Buckeyes (11-1) in the first Big Ten match of the season. Looking to snap a six-match losing streak against Ohio State, the Hoosiers will have to face three ranked doubles pairings (Nos. 13, 14, 60), as well as ranked players at five of the six singles positions. \nSenior David Bubenicek and junior Dara McLoughlin likely will play Buckeye sophomores Steven Moneke and Bryan Koniecko, who are ranked No. 14 and No. 17 nationally. \nAt No. 3 and 4 for the Buckeyes, will likely be seniors No. 35 Devin Mullings and No. 47 Chris Klingemann, while one of the nation’s top freshmen, No. 60 Justin Kronauge usually plays No. 5. \nJunior Drew Eberly, Ohio State’s No. 6 player, is the only unranked player in the regular lineup, but he gave McLoughlin a good run at November’s Big Ten singles championships before falling to the Hoosiers’ No. 2 player, 6-4, 7-5. \nMcLoughlin is aware of the Buckeyes’ strength up and down the lineup, saying that Ohio State’s top five players are capable of playing at any position. Nevertheless, after the Hoosiers dropped the doubles point against DePaul on Wednesday, McLoughlin is not as concerned about singles.\n“We’ve got to really improve on our doubles and everybody’s got to have a good day,” McLoughlin said. “I definitely think it’s possible (to beat Ohio State).”\nOhio State has already beaten eight ranked teams this year. Despite losing to No. 1 Georgia 4-2, the Buckeyes have recorded wins against five top-20 teams, including No. 4 Baylor and 16-time NCAA team champions No. 5 UCLA. \n“They are ranked No. 2, but we’ve beaten the No. 2 team in the country before,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “If we lay it on the line, we can go out and put ourselves in a position to win.”\nSaturday’s match is scheduled for noon at the Jesse Owens West Tennis Center in Columbus, Ohio.
(03/01/07 5:00am)
The doubles point proved to make all the difference for the No. 68 IU men’s tennis team in its loss to No. 75 DePaul on Wednesday. \nWinning three of the six singles matches was not enough for the Hoosiers after dropping two of three doubles matches against the Blue Demons at IU Tennis Center.\n“There were a lot of ways that we could have won that match,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “We got in a position to win and didn’t keep playing the same way.”\nAt No. 1 doubles, IU played without junior Thomas Richter, who is back in Germany for the second time this month for personal reasons. His presence was missed as all three IU doubles teams held leads, but only one prevailed.\nAt No. 3 doubles, senior Arnaud Roussel and sophomore Mak Kendall led their opponents 3-1 but dropped seven of the next nine games, losing 8-5. Junior Dara McLoughlin and senior David Bubenicek were next off the court, escaping with an 8-6 victory at No. 1. \nIn the deciding match at No. 2, all four players were fired up and playing with intensity. After trailing 5-2, DePaul’s George Wang and Alasdair Graetz beat IU junior Mike McCarthy and sophomore Peter Antons 9-7, giving DePaul the doubles point. \nWith the Blue Demons up 1-0, the Hoosiers would need to take at least four singles matches to win the match. IU found itself in a hole, trailing 3-0 after McLoughlin and Antons fell in straight sets, but the Hoosiers had their chances on the other courts. \nAt No. 3 singles, McCarthy blew a 6-1, 5-0 lead but stormed back from behind in the second-set tiebreaker to win the match, 6-1 7-6 (7).\n“I got up big, then kind of let him back in,” McCarthy said. “It felt good to win in the end.”\nThe Hoosiers cut the deficit to 3-2 with a win at No. 4 by Roussel, 6-4, 7-6 (3), but at No. 6, Jack Komar clinched DePaul’s fourth point and the match by coming from behind to defeat Kendall, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1.\nWith DePaul ahead 4-2 and the match already decided, Bubenicek gave the Hoosiers their third win by defeating Wang at No. 1 in a baseline battle, 7-5, 2-6, 10-6. \nComing up short left the Hoosiers very disappointed, but still optimistic. \n“We’ve improved on a lot of things this year and can get better,” Hydinger said.\nNext up, the Hoosiers will battle No. 2 Ohio State at noon on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio.
(02/28/07 5:00am)
Last Thursday, the IU men’s tennis team (8-2) came into its match at No. 33 Kentucky hoping for a big win. It left without one. \nDespite losing to the Wildcats 5-2, the Hoosiers returned to Bloomington feeling a lot better than they did after their other loss.\n“The last team we played that was somewhat of that level was Notre Dame,” IU coach Ken Hydinger said. “I felt like we were a lot more aggressive. I felt like we focused a lot better (and had) a lot more energy. We played considerably better overall.” \nWhile IU surrendered the doubles point, losing two of three doubles matches, juniors Dara McLoughlin and Thomas Richter teamed up for a victory at No. 1 doubles. \n“I think it was definitely the best match that me and Thomas have played,” McLoughlin said. “It was just really good (for our) confidence going into the next, bit tougher matches coming up.”\nRichter said he was also pleased with the 8-3 win and feels good about being paired with McLoughlin.\n“Both of us are pretty good at returns. It helps me at the net and he’s serving well, so I get all of the easy returns,” Richter said. “I think we’re a good team.”\nMcLoughlin and Richter look to carry on their doubles success today at 1 p.m., when the Hoosiers host No. 69 DePaul (7-5). Three weeks ago the Blue Demons were ranked No. 58 after a win against Arkansas but have since gone 3-3 and are on a two-match losing streak. While DePaul is just 1-4 against ranked opponents, Hydinger is not analyzing who the Blue Demons have or have not beaten.\n“I think you get in trouble when you figure, how should this team be, how should that team be?” Hydinger said. “If you start trying to figure this stuff too much you’ll think yourself into a hole. You know, we’re tennis players and we go out there ready to play.”\nAfter a 6-0, 6-2 defeat at No. 1 singles last week, senior David Bubenicek looks to rebound against DePaul’s George Wang. \nOther Hoosiers hoping to get back on track after singles losses to Kentucky are Richter, junior Mike McCarthy and sophomore Peter Antons. The lone singles winners Thursday were McLoughlin and Arnoad Roussel, who are both tied with Bubenicek for a team-high eight singles wins this spring. \nWhile McLoughlin is playing good tennis, 7-1 at No. 2 singles and 8-2 at No. 1 doubles, the junior said he is not paying attention to his records.\n“I don’t really look at the statistics like that,” McLoughlin said. “I just take every game as it comes and I try and get better every time.” \nThe Hoosiers and Blue Demons are set to square off at 1 p.m. at the IU Tennis Center.
(02/22/07 5:00am)
When the No. 63 IU men’s tennis team (8-1) takes the court today at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center in Lexington, Ky., history will not be on its side. \nThey are 3-23 all-time against the Kentucky Wildcats and 1-11 against them since Ken Hydinger became the Hoosiers’ coach in 1985. \n“I know we’re looking forward to it,” junior Mike McCarthy said. “We’ve been working hard, gearing up for it. It’s a great opportunity to play a high-ranked team.”\nThe No. 33 Wildcats (4-3) have their lowest preseason ranking since 2001. With freshmen and sophomores making up nine of the 11-man team, Kentucky has yet to record a big win. They do have big match experience, however, with their three losses coming against ranked opponents – No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Baylor and No. 43 Middle Tennessee State. \nThe Wildcats are led by No. 72 Bruno Agostinelli. He will face whomever the Hoosiers put at No. 1, most likely senior David Bubenicek. Despite struggling last week in a pair of victories and dropping from the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, Bubenicek’s wrist has improved and he was hitting the ball well in practice. Although junior Dara McLoughlin filled in at No. 1 earlier this month, he said the lineup is likely set, but he will be ready to play wherever Hydinger puts him.\n“I would imagine David would play (No.) 1. He’s been playing pretty well in practice this week,” McLoughlin said. \nIU received a boost with the return of junior Thomas Richter, who had been home in Germany for personal reasons. Assistant coach Randy Bloemendaal said Richter’s flight was scheduled to come in at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and he would be in the lineup for the match. Richter’s return gives the Hoosiers some added depth, which could make a difference in the match.\nWhile the Hoosiers are 23-4 combined at Nos. 4, 5 and 6 singles, the Wildcats are just 5-13. \n“They’re pretty low at the bottom of the lineup,” McLoughlin said.\nJust like Kentucky, IU is looking for a signature victory before conference play. A win against the Wildcats would be a step in the right direction for the Hoosiers, as they look to build their NCAA Tournament resume.
(02/16/07 5:02am)
Facing No. 61 DePaul without junior Thomas Richter and with senior David Bubenicek nursing an injured wrist was not going to be an easy task for the IU men's tennis team. If the No. 63 Hoosiers did not come ready to play, they very well could have seen an 'L.' Instead, they got a 'W,' literally, by beating, not DePaul, but DePauw 7-0. \nDue to the recent inclement weather, the DePaul match was pushed back to Feb. 28, and Div. III power DePauw was inserted into IU's schedule as part of the Eastern Kentucky doubleheader. \n"I think it was a definite advantage of playing DePauw instead of not playing," IU coach Ken Hydinger said. "We could've just waited for Eastern Kentucky tonight, but I thought we got some definite good stuff out of this."\nAfter a great emphasis was put on doubles in the last week and a half of practices, the Hoosiers jumped to an early 1-0 lead with a sweep of the doubles matches. Bubenicek filled in for Richter at No. 1, teaming with junior Dara McLoughlin to win 8-3. Junior Mike McCarthy and sophomore Peter Antons were victorious at No. 2, as were senior Arnaud Roussel and sophomore Mak Kendall at No. 3, 8-5 and 8-2, respectively.\nIn the singles matches, Bubenicek, McLaughlin, McCarthy, Roussel, Antons and Kendall also posted wins, completing the sweep of DePauw. Returning to the No. 1 position, Bubenicek took down the seventh-ranked Div. III player 6-4, 6-3 but an injured wrist left the Czech Republic-native dissatisfied with his play.\n"It's pretty sore right now. First match after the injury, (it was) pretty tough ," Bubenicek said, with a bag of ice over his right wrist. \nHaving not played a match in 12 days, the Hoosiers were somewhat eased back into things by facing a Div. III opponent, but the team was ready to play, and showed few signs of rust.\n"We've been playing a good amount in practice," Antons said, following his 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 5 singles. "I just love getting out there and actually competing."\nIn the second match of the day, IU defeated Eastern Kentucky 7-0, marking the first doubleheader this season in which they did not drop a single match. Even with Bubenicek's injury and the absence of Richter, the Hoosiers won all 12 singles matches without losing a set. \nNext up for IU is a Feb. 22 road match versus No. 34 Kentucky (2-3). The Hoosiers do not play at home again until March 24, when they face No. 25 Minnesota.
(02/15/07 2:58am)
Almost two weeks removed from its last matches, the IU men's tennis team hosts a doubleheader today at the IU Tennis Center. The No. 63 Hoosiers are looking for their biggest win to date when they face No. 61 DePaul in the morning match before doing battle with Eastern Kentucky at 5 p.m. \n"I think it's probably better to play them (DePaul) first, so we're fresh," junior Dara McLoughlin said. "(The) second match isn't as tough, so I think we'll be alright."\nSince their last matches Feb. 3, IU coach Ken Hydinger has had his team playing hard at practice, "spending a fair amount of time on doubles," among other things, he said.\n"I think we've got some good work done, but we'll tell a bit more (in the DePaul match)," Hydinger said Monday. "(Today is) going to be a tough match. ... DePaul is going to be a good test for us."\nAfter starting the year ranked 71st in the Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings, the Blue Demons (6-2) come to Bloomington 10 spots higher, thanks in part to a 6-1 upset of then-No. 30 Arkansas. \nThe Hoosiers must cope with the absence of junior Thomas Richter and a wrist injury to senior David Bubenicek, the team's top player.\nRichter, the No. 3 singles player and half of the No. 1 doubles pairing, is home in Germany for personal reasons.\n"(Richter) won't be here for these matches, so we're going to have change our doubles combinations and go with a new singles lineup, so that's going to be quite an adjustment for the team," Hydinger said. \nBubenicek, meanwhile, is still recovering from the sprained ligament in his wrist, an injury he sustained a couple weeks back. While he hopes to heal and return to No. 1 singles, he may play at No. 2 again, as he did in the Marquette and Northern Illinois matches.\n"Whatever will work for our team. That's the most important thing," Bubenicek said.\nThese matches, namely the contest with DePaul, will be key for the Hoosiers as they enter a tough stretch in their season.\n"We're playing progressively stronger teams, and this will be a continued step in that direction," Hydinger said. \nAfter today, the next four matches, none of which are at home, are all against top 40 teams -- No. 34 Kentucky, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 32 South Alabama and No. 23 Clemson.
(02/02/07 4:56am)
Practicing after a loss is never fun for the IU men's tennis team. \nTaking the court for the first time since Monday's 7-0 defeat at Notre Dame, the Hoosiers knew Wednesday's practice was going to be no different.\nIf coach Ken Hydinger did not make an impression on his players after the match, he would surely get the message across in practice. \nHydinger, a 22-year fixture as IU coach, made his way into the Tennis Center on Wednesday wearing a navy blue hat with a gold "ND" logo stitched on the front. \n"It's either a wet jock strap or this hat," Hydinger said before leading his players out on the court. "Either one would make me feel uncomfortable. We should not be feeling comfortable today."\nAlthough the Hoosiers have two matches Saturday, the team did not intend to spend this week's practices worrying about their opponents, rather re-evaluating their own games. \n"We're going to obviously get back to work today and obviously improve on what we didn't do (Monday)," junior Mike McCarthy said Wednesday. "So find our weaknesses and kind of build on them."\nSophomore Peter Antons, just 3-2 in singles, said he has played "pretty well" through his first matches, but he has learned a lot through some of his struggles. \n"You got to learn by your mistakes," Antons said. "You just really got to continue with the process, as they say, and just fight as hard as you can, no matter what…I mean you could be playing great or bad, you just got to play hard."\nOn Saturday, IU is set to take on Marquette at 10 a.m. and Northern Illinois at 5 p.m. Marquette is 1-1 for the year, and has the nation's No. 31 doubles team. Northern Illinois is 0-2, but does have big match experience, having already faced Wisconsin and Iowa.\n"They're actually pretty good teams, stronger than (the teams in) our other doubleheaders, but not quite as strong as Notre Dame," McCarthy said. "But they're still pretty good"
(01/29/07 3:01am)
There is a lot at stake for the men's tennis team this afternoon as they hit the road for the first time this season. With a win today against No. 13 Notre Dame, the Hoosiers would boost their chances for postseason play.\n"If we win this match, we're in the driver's seat for going to the NCAAs," IU coach Ken Hydinger said.\nWinning the match will be no simple task. The Irish return their top five players from last season, including seniors Stephen Bass and Ryan Keckley, as well as junior Sheeva Parbhu. Bass and Parbhu are ranked No. 14 and No. 30 nationally in Fila Collegiate Tennis Rankings. Parbhu teams with Keckley to make up the No. 11 doubles tandem in the country. \nIU senior David Bubenicek, ranked No. 48, said he is a little nervous for his match with Bass, but knows it will be a "good challenge" and is looking forward to it. \n"He's very good," Bubenicek said. "We have kind of similar styles so it's going to be (a) very good match and I hope I'll be the one on top at the end. I am definitely positive I can beat him."\nLast year's win by Notre Dame was its third straight against IU and its 12th in the last 15 seasons. While the score was 6-1, Hydinger's team put up a fight, taking No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles, while keeping four of the other five singles matches close. Junior Dara McLoughlin, then a sophomore, won the lone singles match by defeating Notre Dame's Brett Helgeson, ranked No. 60 at the time. \n"It was just when I was turning things around in the season," McLoughlin said. "I went to Illinois and Purdue the weekend before and I had a pretty good win at No. 3 against Purdue, so I had some confidence going through the (Notre Dame) match and I kind of used that and I pulled (the match) out."\nDespite Notre Dame's talent and recent dominance of the Hoosiers, Hydinger is not ready to hand the match over to the Irish.\n"Notre Dame's higher in the rankings," he said. "But you don't play to see who's better, you play to see who wins"
(01/22/07 5:01am)
The men's tennis team improved to 4-0 with a pair of victories Saturday, beginning the day with a hard-fought 6-1 win against the Toledo Rockets and then following up with a 7-0 win against the Murray State Racers.\nIn the earlier match, the Hoosiers earned the doubles point with 8-2 and 8-3 wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Trailing 6-3, the No. 3 pairing of junior Mike McCarthy and senior Arnaud Roussel sent the pro set into a tiebreaker. A McCarthy ace made it 4-3, but it became 5-3 when Toledo was hit with a point penalty for an audible obscenity. Two points later, McCarthy closed out the match with an overhead winner.\n"The guy, he should have not said it," Roussel said. "That was really good for us."\nWith the singles sticks up, the Hoosiers and Rockets went back at it. At No. 1, 48th-ranked senior David Bubenicek was too much for Toledo's Jared Miller, winning 6-1, 6-1. At No. 2, junior Dara McLoughlin caught fire early, taking the first three games of the match without dropping a single point. Despite a shoulder injury sustained on Friday, the Ireland native outlasted his opponent 6-3, 6-1. \n"I was a little tentative at the start of the doubles because I was kind of afraid to play at a hundred percent, but after loosening up, I think I played one of the best singles matches I've played in a while," McLoughlin said. \nPerhaps the most impressive performance of the day was No. 3 singles player junior Thomas Richter. Coach Ken Hydinger acknowledged his improvement, but said Richter is "still a bit away from seeing his best tennis."\nMcCarthy, playing at No. 4 had an easy first set, but struggled in the second before finishing off his opponent 6-1, 7-6. Roussel, meanwhile, won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 5. In the longest match of the day, sophomore Peter Antons fell 7-6, 7-6 at No. 6.\n"This is his first year really being in the singles lineup; he doesn't have a lot of singles experience," Hydinger said of Antons. "He's really worked hard; he's improved his game, and his opportunity right now through these matches is to learn from each match."\nIn the second match, IU took down Murray State without dropping a set. The win moved the Hoosiers to 19-4 in the all-time series with the Racers.
(01/19/07 4:26am)
Playing off the words of IU basketball coach Kelvin Sampson, Ken Hydinger realizes his men's tennis squad is not going to be an April team here in January. Despite two convincing victories Monday, the Hoosier coach knows his players can get better. Among other things, he mentioned the need for improvement in conditioning, serve returns and poaching in doubles, in addition to ball striking. \n"They're working on the game; it's a progression," Hydinger said. "I would certainly hope that in the next three months, as we're playing tennis and doing individual lessons, we're going to be a heck of a lot better in three months than we are now. I mean, that's the battle plan anyway."\nThe next step in that progression begins Saturday when the Hoosiers host Toledo and Murray State, a pair of teams IU easily beat last season.\nOn Monday, IU defeated Morehead State and IPFW, 6-1 and 7-0, respectively. Junior Thomas Richter, who against Morehead State lost the lone singles match as well as a doubles match with junior Dara McLoughlin, was satisfied with the team's overall performance.\n"I think all the guys did pretty well," Richter said. "They showed a strong effort. Myself, I was a bit disappointed about my first two matches ... I think it was a good team effort, and that's why we won."\nNo. 4 singles player junior Michael McCarthy, arguably the most dominant player in Monday's matches, said that he was pleased with the way he played, but knows that he and his teammates are not quite where they need to be.\n"There's room for improvement," McCarthy said. "You kind of build on each match, especially with these doubleheaders. They're not Big Ten matches, but they're getting us toward the Notre Dames and the Ohio States."\nHydinger knows that Saturday's opponents will be tougher than Morehead State and IPFW, but his concentration is on neither Toledo nor Murray State -- rather it's on his own players.\nThe Hoosiers are led by senior David Bubenicek and McLoughlin. On Wednesday, Bubenicek was named Big Ten Player of the Week -- the first Hoosier to garner the award since Jakub Praibis in Feb. 2005. McLaughlin, the No. 2 singles player, is 8-3 on the year in singles and 6-2 in doubles. \nSaturday's match versus Toledo begins at 10 a.m. at the IU Tennis Center, while the Murray State match is scheduled for 4 p.m.
(01/16/07 4:16am)
As clocks around campus struck 10 a.m. on Monday, the men's tennis team struck its first balls of the spring season with a 6-1 victory against Morehead State.\nAt No. 3 doubles, junior Michael McCarthy and sophomore Mak Kendall won the first doubles pro set, 8-4, with a combination of powerful strokes, high energy and solid team chemistry. Despite a tough loss by the No. 1 doubles team of juniors Dara McLoughlin and Thomas Richter, the Hoosiers did manage to earn the doubles point, 8-4. In a deadlock early, senior David Bubenicek and sophomore Peter Antons, broke a 2-2 tie by winning six of the next eight games.\n"We just believed we [could] win, and we went for it," said Bubenicek, who finished off the match with a tough serve into the body of a Morehead State opponent. "We were not even thinking to lose."\nWith a 1-0 lead, the Hoosiers needed three singles wins to clinch the team victory. The Hoosiers won five of the six singles matches to put the Eagles away.r. \nThe sole loss came from Richter, a newcomer from Germany, who was knocked off in a super tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets.\n"I'm disappointed (with) the way I played," Richter said. "I thought I had it pretty solid on the backhand, but the forehand didn't work in the second or third set. I didn't feel really safe and secure on my forehand, and I think that's why I lost."\nIn the team's second match of the day, IU took down a young IPFW squad 7-0. The doubles pairings of McLoughlin-Richter and Bubenicek-Antons swept past their opponents, while the No. 3 doubles team of McCarthy-Roussel dominated their opponents 8-2. All singles wins were straight-set victories.
(01/12/07 4:58am)
After a three-week winter vacation, the men's tennis team has to shake off the rust.\nTwo months removed from the fall portion of their schedule, they will return to action at home Monday with dual matches against Morehead State and IPFW. \n"I'm really excited for the season to start now," junior Dara McLoughlin said. "I've been waiting for it since the start of the fall. I think it's the best part of the season and I can't wait to get it going."\nIn the first ever meeting between the schools, the Hoosiers will host Morehead State at 10 a.m. before taking on IPFW at 4 p.m. \n"IPFW we saw last year," said IU coach Ken Hydinger. "(IPFW coach Eric Burns) has got some talent in there. They were young last year; they'll be a little bit better this year."\nAfter defeating IPFW 7-0 last season, Hoosiers players said they will not be intimidated by the youthful Mastodons. Morehead State's 2006 record of 8-15 is not posing much of a threat to IU, ranked 58th in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.\n"Morehead, I don't know much about them," Hydinger said. "I haven't seen them in years. The coach in there is a good guy that played at Purdue and he's working hard. I've seen Morehead teams have some talent, but I don't know where they are."\nAfter the completion of the fall season, senior David Bubenicek, No. 48 in the ITA's Fila Collegiate Tennis rankings, and McLoughlin appeared to be the front-runners for the first and second singles positions, respectively. Nevertheless, Hydinger indicated that no lineup has been set, in part because of some fresh faces. \n"We have three new players that came in this semester, and one of them is Thomas Richter (a transfer from Birmingham Southern), who is going to be in contention for one of those spots," he said. "So when we say we don't know the lineup, we don't know it."\nWhile IU has reached the NCAA Tournament four times in the previous 10 seasons, Hydinger has not guided a team there since 2001. Bubenicek, among others, does think that his team is capable of making a run to the postseason.\n"I want to go for (the) NCAA Tournament (this season)," Bubenicek said, "and I think our team is good enough to make it"
(11/15/06 4:43am)
The Business Careers in Entertainment Club is out to show students and faculty why the group was recently voted IU's "Best Student Organization" by WEEKEND readers. The club is preparing to produce a full-length film, and although it will not be "coming soon to a theater near you," the script might be written by a student near you.\nJunior Max Riesberg, the group's director of film and television, decided to hold a script-writing contest for the club's upcoming film while talking Hollywood on a family vacation in Aspen, Colo. \n"Once I realized this was something I could work with, it just came to me," he said. "This is an unbelievable opportunity."\nRiesberg said the project is only in its early stages, but it is already developing a lot of hype. \nThe group's president, Ashley McPherson, said she is not sure what to expect but that she is confident in Riesberg and his 25-member committee. \n"I have a feeling that it is going to be huge," McPherson said. \nThe film committee had flirted with a few possible scripts for the film but instead opted to make a contest out of it, dubbed "ScriptTease: Expose Yourself." \nRiesberg said the winner of the competition will receive significant exposure and the opportunity to have his or her idea developed into an actual film -- an opportunity few college students have. \nThe club will use students throughout the entire production, not just for script-writing. Riesberg mentioned musicians from the Jacobs School of Music, actors from the Department of Theatre and Drama and directors from the Department of Communications and Culture, among others, as possible candidates to work on the film. \n"We're looking to involve students, not outsource," he said. \nAfter choosing the winning script and going through preproduction stages next semester, Riesberg anticipates shooting the film toward the beginning of summer and being done filming by August. A public screening at IU is on tap for November 2007. \n"If it turns out that we've made a good product, we're going to try and work the (film) festivals" Riesberg said.\nThe script-writing contest runs until Dec. 11. Additional information about the contest and film can be found online at www.TheBCEC.org/script.php.
(11/08/06 3:37am)
The Indiana Memorial Union is looking for students to round out its board of directors for 2007.\nThe Union Board, which has brought various entertainment and educational events to campus since 1909, will be accepting applications through Nov. 14 for the 16 available positions.\nAny student not graduating before December 2007 who has at least a 2.0 GPA can apply for a director's position, according to a Union Board press release. Board members who are not graduating this year are eligible to run for re-election and will go through the same process as new candidates. \nSenior Katie Ly, UB concert director, said there are no additional requirements outside of completing the application, but the board is looking for strong candidates. \n"There is no standard for the type of person who would make a good Union Board director, and if you were to meet all of the current directors, you would see that we are all so different and we all bring to the table our best qualities," Ly said in an e-mail. \n"Generally speaking, a good UB director exhibits strong leadership skills and initiative. He or she also has good interpersonal skills since directors serve as representatives of the board and the University." \nSenior Cory Szybala, UB design director, said the selection committee will review each application and hold an informational meeting Nov. 15. Prospective board members then have until Nov. 28 to campaign, trying to garner as many friends as possible to vote for them. \n"It can be sort of a popularity contest," Szybala said.\nThe two-week campaign period concludes with a 24-hour online election, beginning at 8 p.m. Nov. 28.\nThe eight candidates with the most votes automatically earn a spot as a board member, while current UB student leaders will conduct interviews to determine who rounds out the 16 student director positions. According to the application, new directors must attend at least one board meeting after their selection, as well as a retreat the first weekend of second semester. There, they will learn the history of the IMU and their role as directors. \nLy said being a director is a "major time commitment," with weekly requirements including setting 15 office hours, chairing committee meetings and attending the Thursday board meetings. \n"It seems like a lot on the surface, but to prove how doable it is, several directors balance all these UB duties with other extracurriculars, full course loads and part-time jobs," Ly said. \nSzybala, who was a three-year committee member and now serves as a director, encourages students to consider becoming a board member. He talked about the good experiences and friendships formed through the student-run organization. \n"It's probably one of the best leadership opportunities I have had," he said. "It's difficult to match."\nApplications are available online at www.imu.indiana.edu and must be submitted to concerts@indiana.edu by 6 p.m. Nov. 14.